India supports “development, not expansionism”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Brunei on Wednesday (September 4, 2024) in a series of remarks which seemed to target Chinese moves in the South China Sea and Indo-Pacific region. He was speaking at a banquet hosted by the Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah in the tiny nation’s capital, Bandar Seri Begawan.
His comments followed bilateral talks between India and Brunei, and the signing of a renewed cooperation agreement on space cooperation, with Brunei continuing to host the Indian Space Research Organisation’s Telemetry Tracking and Command station. The two countries discussed ways to strengthen defence cooperation and the possibility of long-term cooperation in LNG supplies, given that India has dropped its demand for oil from Brunei in favour of Russian oil imports in recent years.
‘Code of conduct needed’
“Brunei is an important partner in India’s Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific Vision,” Mr. Modi said at a luncheon banquet at the Istana Nurul Iman palace, referring to India’s priority for ASEAN centrality on such issues and support for freedom of movement in the Indo-Pacific region.
“We support the policy of development, and not expansionism,” the Prime Minister added, calling for the finalisation of a ‘Code of Conduct’ for the region on the issue of sovereignty and violations at sea. In the joint statement issued at the end of the visit, the two sides also “urged all parties to resolve disputes through peaceful means in accordance with international law, particularly UNCLOS 1982”. This is a reference to the UN-led Convention on the Law of the Seas under which Brunei is a “claimant state” for the South China Sea, along with China, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
Strategic location
Historically, Brunei’s strategic location at the centre of the ASEAN region — surrounded by Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam, and especially with American bases in the area — has given it an edge in ties with the United States, and the two sides have had close defence ties.
In the last few decades, however, Chinese leaders have made a number of high-level visits to Brunei. China is now Brunei’s largest trading partner and foreign investor, including in the Belt and Road Initiative projects in Brunei. The value of China-Brunei bilateral trade stands at about $2.6 billion. In comparison, India-Brunei trade last year was approximately $286.20 million.
Spooked by Chinese aggression
More recently, however, Chinese aggression and claims over islands in the South China Sea have been received with unease in Brunei. Mr. Modi did not refer directly to China, but his veiled remarks about the situation were significant. He also said he had held “comprehensive talks” on giving a “strategic direction” to the India-Brunei partnership.
“To strengthen our defence cooperation, we held constructive dialogue on possibilities of cooperation in defence industry, training and capacity building,” Mr. Modi added, also announcing that direct flights between Brunei and India were set to begin shortly.
Mr. Modi is the first Indian PM to make a bilateral visit to Brunei, although Manmohan Singh had visited the country in 2013 when it hosted the ASEAN-India summit.
Singapore next
After thanking Brunei’s Sultan for his hospitality, the Prime Minister left for Singapore, where he held a dinner meeting with Singapore’s new Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. The two leaders will hold formal talks on Thursday, and sign four agreements, including a major announcement on cooperation in semiconductors; Singapore contributes a 10% share to the global market in semiconductors.
Apart from bilateral meetings, Mr. Modi will also visit a semiconductor facility and meet Singapore CEOs and businessmen before returning to India.
Published - September 04, 2024 06:50 pm IST
